Grade 4 Week 2

The Grand Canyon and a Very Tall Tale! An ADE Language Arts Lesson Week 2

Author ADE Content Specialists Grade Level 4th grade Duration Five sessions

Aligns To Connects To Reading: Social Studies: Strand 1: Reading Process Strand 4: Geography Concept 4: Vocabulary Concept 1: The World in Spatial Terms PO 2. Use context to determine the relevant PO 6. Locate physical and human features meaning of a word. using maps, illustrations, images, or globes: Concept 6: Comprehension Strategies a. physical (i.e., river, lake, mountain range, coast, sea, desert, gulf, bay, PO 6. Use reading strategies (e.g., drawing strait) conclusions, determining cause and effect, making b. human (i.e., equator, four hemispheres, inferences, sequencing) to comprehend text. city, state, country, roads, railroads)

PO 7. Locate physical and human features in Strand 2: Comprehending Literary Text Arizona using maps, illustrations, images, or Concept 1: Elements of Literature globes: PO 5. Describe a character’s traits using textual a. physical (e.g.,Grand Canyon, Mogollon evidence (e.g., dialogue, actions, narrations, Rim, Colorado River, Gila River, Salt illustrations). River) b. human (e.g.,Phoenix, Yuma, Strand 3: Comprehending Informational Flagstaff,Tucson, Prescott, Hoover Text Dam, Roosevelt Dam) Concept 1: Expository Text PO 7. Distinguish cause and effect. Science Concept 2: Earth’s Processes and Writing: Systems Strand 1: Writing Process PO 1. Identify the Earth processes that cause Concept 1: Prewriting erosion. Concept 2: Drafting PO 3. Describe the role that water plays in the Concept 3: Revising following processes that alter the Earth’s Concept 4: Editing surface features: Concept 5: Publishing • erosion • deposition Strand 2: Writing Elements • weathering Concept 3: Voice PO 1. Show awareness of the audience through word choice and style. PO 2. Convey a sense of originality, sincerity, liveliness, or humor appropriate to topic and type of writing.

Arizona Department of Education 1 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Concept 6: Conventions PO 1. Use capital letters for: a. proper nouns ( i.e., names, days, months) PO 6. Use apostrophes to punctuate: a. contractions b. singular possessive

Strand 3: Writing Applications Concept 1: Expressive PO 2. Write in a variety of expressive forms (e.g., poetry, skit) that may employ: a. figurative language c. dialogue d. characterization f. appropriate format

Overview Tall tales are a unique part of American folklore. Through their exaggerated characters and story events, you can learn about our country’s rich storytelling history as well as get an interesting perspective on how some of our nation’s natural wonders came about.

Purpose In these five sessions, you will use a tall tale of Pecos Bill and an expository passage on the Grand Canyon to support comprehension of literary and expository text, vocabulary development, and to practice writing a tall tale.

Materials • Pecos Bill reading passage • Grand Canyon reading passage • Worksheets for the daily sessions • Proofreading chart

Objectives Students will: • Read the Pecos Bill tall tale. • Identify fantasy and realism. • Read the Grand Canyon passage. • Identify cause and effect. • Use context to understand multiple-meaning words. • Apply knowledge of silent consonants. • Write a tall tale emphasizing the element of Voice.

Arizona Department of Education 2 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Lesson Components

Prerequisite skills: The 5 Steps of the Writing Process have been used since Grade 1. Writing Elements have been used since Kindergarten. You should be familiar with these processes.

Session 1: Reading Comprehension and Writing 1. Review story and genre vocabulary prior to reading. 2. As a pre-reading and during reading strategy, consider what fantasy is and what is realistic while reading the tall tale, Pecos Bill. 3. After reading the passage, check your comprehension by answering questions about the text. 4. Begin Step 1 of the writing process in prewriting for a tall tale. Emphasis will be on Voice.

Session 2: Vocabulary and Writing 1. Increase your vocabulary through a word study of multiple-meaning words. 2. Continue writing a draft of your tall tale.

Session 3: Phonics/Decoding and Writing 1. Strengthen your reading skills by examining the use of silent consonants in words and how this applies to your reading comprehension. 2. In Step 3 of the Writing Process, revise your tall tale, considering the use of Voice and humor.

Session 4: Grammar and Writing 1. Review verb tenses. Reread the passage, Pecos Bill, to strengthen your knowledge of verb tenses. 2. Proofread your tall tale in Step 4 of the Writing Process.

Session 5: Reading Comprehension and Writing 1. Understand how cause and effect is a strategy for better comprehension. 2. Identify cause and effect in the passage, Grand Canyon, and complete a cause and effect chart comparing the creation of the Grand Canyon in the two stories read this week. 3. Create a final copy of your tall tale, practice reading it, and present it to a family member.

Assessment There is one assessment for each session that will help you check your understanding before moving on to the next session.

Arizona Department of Education 3 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Session 1 – Reading Comprehension and Writing Pecos Bill

Vocabulary: Please review these words before you read the passage. These words will help you comprehend the tall tale passage. tale – a story, usually a made-up one humorous – funny frontier – the area beyond where most people live exaggerate (ex-ag-ger-ate) – to tell of something as greater as or larger than it really is tumbling – falling suddenly or helplessly coyote – a small, wolf-like animal howling – the long, wailing cry of a wolf or dog lasso – a rope with a sliding loop at one end that is used to catch cattle cyclone – a storm with strong winds that circle and carry a lot of rain washed-out – tired

Skill to use while reading: Fantasy and reality Today you will be reading a tall tale. A tall tale is a humorous story about a character that can do amazing things a normal person can’t do. They have unbelievable strength and have very unusual adventures. These tales began on the American frontier in the 1800s and have been passed down through storytellers. When you read a tall tale, you will read about things that could happen in real life (realistic or reality) as well as many things that are exaggerated and could never happen in real life (fantastic or fantasy).

As you read the tall tale, think about what events are realistic and could happen and which events are fantasy and could not happen in real life.

Perhaps you have heard stories of the giant lumberjack, Paul Bunyan, and his blue ox, Babe. Their stories were told in the logging camps of the American frontier. Well, cowboys also had their tall tale hero. He was called Pecos Bill. He traveled the American Southwest, using his superhuman strength to help tame the Wild West!

Arizona Department of Education 4 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Pecos Bill

The story of Pecos Bill started when he was just a baby living with his family in East Texas. The family liked living far away from other people, so when neighbors moved in about 50 miles away, the family decided to move further west. They packed up their very large family (it’s said that Bill had fifteen or sixteen brothers and sisters) and started heading out. Bill was so young; he rode in the back of the wagon. The trip was going fine until they crossed the Pecos River in Texas. There was a big bump and Bill went tumbling out of the wagon!

Bill was swept down the river and saved by a mother coyote. The coyote adopted Bill and raised him as one of her own cubs. That’s why Bill grew up thinking he was a coyote! He was real good at howling at the moon!

In time, Bill grew up and met up with some cowboys. That’s when he learned he was a man, not a coyote. So he joined up with the cowboys. That’s how we learned about his superhuman strength. He had many adventures in the Southwest. They say he invented the rope lasso and rode a mountain lion. He also tamed the wildest, fastest, most beautiful horse in the world!

One story tells how he wanted to start a ranch of his own. Since most of the land in Texas already belonged to someone else, Bill went further west. That took him to New Mexico. Now he liked what he saw and decided to stake out the whole state for his ranch and fenced in Arizona for a calf pasture!

Well, it was known that Bill was so strong that he could ride just about anything. So it was no surprise that when a big cyclone came roaring down out of Kansas, Bill decided to ride it. It was a mighty big cyclone, but Bill jumped right on its back. The cyclone whipped this way and that, trying to throw Bill off. But Bill stayed on. It knocked down forests and mountains as it tore through Texas.

The cyclone headed further west toward California, trying to shake Bill off. It worked so hard to get rid of Bill that it just rained itself out. It made so much water that it carved out the Grand Canyon! That’s how the Grand Canyon was made!

The cyclone was just about washed-out by the time it reached California. There wasn’t much of a storm left. That’s where Bill finally fell off. They say he hit the ground so hard it sank below sea level. Folks today call that spot Death Valley.

Bill went on to have many more adventures, each bigger and more unbelievable than the one before. There are lots of stories about Pecos Bill, first told around the campfires of the American West. They have been passed down to us today.

Arizona Department of Education 5 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Check your understanding of the tall tale, Pecos Bill. You may look back at the story. Answer in complete sentences.

1. Explain how the main character, Bill, got his name.

______

2. Give an example of exaggeration from the third paragraph. ______

______

3. Tall tales have events that could happen (reality) and events that could not happen (fantasy) in real life. Fill in the chart below with examples from the story, Pecos Bill.

Fantasy Reality

Arizona Department of Education 6 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

4. The story about Bill riding the cyclone takes place in the United States. Using the information from the story, mark an X on the map below where the cyclone started. Then trace with a line the path Bill rode it across the United States.

Map courtesy of the Arizona Geographic Alliance

5. Explain how the Grand Canyon was formed in the tall tale.

______

Arizona Department of Education 7 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Writing Activity

Now that you have read a tall tale, you will write one of your own. Over the next five sessions, you will work through the steps of writing a tall tale. You will focus on the writing element Voice.

Step 1: Prewriting – Start planning your tall tale. It must have all of the characteristics of a tall tale. 1. A main character (a hero or a heroine) who has exaggerated (bigger than life) qualities. 2. A setting. Where will your hero/heroine live? 3. A problem. What problem will your hero/heroine solve with his or her exaggerated qualities?

Use the chart on the next page to help you organize your ideas for writing a tall tale.

In the next session, you will put your ideas together to write a draft of your tall tale.

Arizona Department of Education 8 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Arizona Department of Education 9 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Session 2 – Vocabulary and Writing Multiple-meaning words

Many words have more than one meaning. They are called multiple-meaning words.

An example is: match. • Match can be a noun meaning a small piece of wood with a tip that catches fire. • Match can also be a noun meaning a contest or a game. • Match can also have other meanings.

A dictionary can show you all of the different meanings of a word.

Use the context the word is used in to help you understand multiple-meaning words.

For example, read these two sentences. Mom used a match to light the campfire. Bill was ready to play the tennis match.

In these sentences, the word match has different meanings, but you can use context to figure out what they mean. • In the first sentence, Mom started a campfire, so match must mean a small piece of wood with a tip that catches fire. • In the second sentence, Bill is playing, so match must mean a contest or a game.

Arizona Department of Education 10 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Multiple-meaning Word Practice

Below are sentences from the story you read, Pecos Bill. They all have an underlined multiple- meaning word (one sentence has two words). Use context to decide which dictionary entry of the word is used in the sentence. Write the correct definition on the line. You may go back and reread the story if you wish.

1. They packed up their very large family (it’s said that Bill had fifteen or sixteen brothers and sisters) and started heading out.

heading (he′diŋ) n. 1. the title or topic of a chapter 2. the direction in which a plane or ship is moving v. 1. to be in command of 2. to set out; travel

______

2. The coyote adopted Bill and raised him as one of her own cubs.

raise (rāz) v. raised, rais′ing 1. to cause to rise; lift 2. to build 3. to collect (an army or money) 4. to grow or rear a child

______

3. One story tells how he wanted to start a ranch of his own.

ranch (ranch) n. 1. a large farm for raising cattle, horses or sheep 2. a style of house with all rooms on one floor v. 1. to work on or manage a ranch

______

4. Now he liked what he saw and decided to stake out the whole state for his ranch and fenced in Arizona for a calf pasture!

stake (stāk) n. 1. a pointed piece of wood or metal to drive into the ground 2. money risked in a business v. 1. to mark the boundaries of a piece of land 2. to fasten to a stake

______

state (stāt) n. 1. the condition of a person or thing 2. an area of land that with other such areas forms a political unit v. 1. to say or write

______

Arizona Department of Education 11 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

5. It was a mighty big cyclone, but Bill jumped right on its back.

right (rīt) adj. 1. correct 2. honest n. 1. power adv. 1. straight, directly (go right home) 2. exactly 3. according to the law

______

6. It knocked down forests and mountains as it tore through Texas.

tear (ter) v. tore, torn, tear′ing 1. to pull apart into pieces; rip 2. to upset 3. to move with force or speed

______

7. The cyclone headed further west toward California, trying to shake Bill off.

shake (shāk) v. shook, shak′en, shak′ing 1. to move quickly up and down, back and forth 2. to mix by quick movements 3. to tremble 4. to clasp another’s hand in greeting n.1. a wood shingle 2. a short name for milkshake

______

8. There wasn’t much of a storm left.

storm (stôrm) n. 1. a strong wind with rain, snow, thunder, etc. 2. a strong outburst of feeling v. 1. to shout loudly 2. to rush violently

______

9. Folks today call that spot Death Valley.

spot (spät) n. 1. a small area different in color from the surrounding area 2. a stain or speck 3. a place v. 1. to mark with spots 2. to stain 3. to see or locate

______

Arizona Department of Education 12 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Writing Activity

In Session 1 you planned for writing a tall tale. You created a chart to help you plan. You will work on Voice in this writing activity. You want to think about your audience as you write and give a feeling of liveliness and humor fitting for a tall tale.

Step 2: Drafting – Use the steps below to draft your tall tale. 1. Introduce the character in an interesting way. Remember that they are a larger-than-life character. Have fun as you describe them! 2. In the following paragraphs, tell about the problem and how your character solves it in an unusual way. Make it interesting to the reader. Use action, humor, and exaggeration to tell it. Draft – Tall Tale

______

Arizona Department of Education 13 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

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Arizona Department of Education 14 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Session 3 – Phonics/Decoding and Writing Silent Consonants

When reading, you will come across words that contain silent consonants. You will be a better reader if you recognize letter patterns that often have silent consonants.

Silent Consonants: Here are some points that will help you recognize words with silent consonants. • The letters gh are sometimes silent. They can be with -igh as in high or bright and they can be with -ough as in ought and brought • The letters g and k are sometimes silent. This is usually when g or k is followed by the letter n as in the words gnaw or know. • The letter b can be silent in words like lamb. • The letter t can be silent in words like fasten. • The letter l can be silent in words like talk.

Why is it important to know about silent consonants? When you read, you need to recognize words with silent consonants in order to make sense of what you are reading. If you are not sure if a word has a silent consonant, pronounce it with the consonant sound and see if it is a word you know. If it isn’t, then try again with a silent consonant. Is it a word you know now? Does it make sense?

Practice with this sentence:

Pecos Bill wasn’t sure the lasso was fastened tight around the horse’s neck.

Were you able to pronounce the words with silent consonants? Explain your thinking to a family member.

There are four words with silent consonants in the story, Pecos Bill. Reread the story and find the four words. Write the words in the correct place in the chart below.

Silent gh Silent gh Silent l Silent k

Arizona Department of Education 15 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Proofreading Practice Read this paragraph and find the six misspelled words. Then spell each word correctly on the lines below the paragraph. Remember to use the points about silent letters.

One nit Pecos Bill was riding his horse through the desert. When he was hafway home, he heard a noise. He put his hand to his ear to lisen carefully. It was a sound he had never heard before! He got off of his horse and tied it to a tree with a not. Then he went to look for the animal. He looked under bushes and behind cacti. Suddenly, behind a bush, he felt something lick and then naw his thum! He quickly pulled it out, grabbed that animal and brought it out into the moonlight. Boy was Bill surprised to find a baby mountain lion, lost from its mother! Well, Bill howled real loud for that mother lion to come and find her cub. When the lion family was back together, Bill headed on home.

1.______2.______3.______

4.______5.______6.______

Writing Activity

Step 3: Revising – Today you will revise your draft tall tale. • Read your draft to be sure you have followed the two steps from Session 2. • Think about how you can make your tall tale more interesting to the reader. • Try reading it aloud to see how it will sound to your audience. • You want them to be interested in what you are saying and entertained by the story. • Remember that you are focusing on Voice. • Use words that will make it fun and interesting. • Make changes in your draft.

Arizona Department of Education 16 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Session 4 – Grammar and Writing Verb Tenses

When reading and writing, it is important to remember that verbs show when the action happens. They have forms or tenses.

A present tense verb shows action that happens now. To form a present tense verb: • add –s or –es to most verbs if the subject is singular • do not add –s or –es if the subject is plural or the word I or you

A past tense verb shows action that already happened. To form a past tense verb: • add –ed to most verbs

A future tense verb shows that something is going to happen. To form a future tense verb: • use the helping verbs will or shall with the main verb

Examples: The boy calls to the dog. (present) The boys call to the dog. (present) She called last night. (past) She will call again later today. (future)

The underlined words above are present, past or future tense verbs.

Practice: Write the present tense of the verb to complete each sentence below.

1. The girl ______a dollar in the street. [find]

2. I ______you hiding behind the tree! [see]

Write the past tense of the verb to complete each sentence below.

1. The cat ______out of the window and into the street. [jump]

2. Pecos Bill ______to the other cowboys. [yell]

Write the future tense of the verb to complete each sentence below.

1. Mother ______to the store tomorrow. [drive]

2. Who ______the book to the library? [return]

Arizona Department of Education 17 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Write a sentence, using the verb in the correct tense.

1. explain (past) ______

______

2. think (present) ______

______

3. attend (future) ______

______

4. discover (past) ______

______

5. apply (future) ______

______

6. enjoy (present) ______

______

Presenting – Read your sentences aloud to a family member. Think how the verb tense in the sentence tells when the action happens.

Tall tales are usually told in the past tense. Reread Pecos Bill and identify 16 past tense verbs used in the story. Write them in the chart below. You may only use a word once. (Hint: You may see other past tense verbs made using other spelling rules, but look only for the verbs made by adding –ed.)

Past tense verbs Past tense verbs

Arizona Department of Education 18 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Writing Activity

Step 4: Proofreading – Today you will check your tall tale for errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage of words.

Here are some suggestions as you proofread: • Check for only one type of error each time you read your tall tale. o For example, check only for capital letter mistakes the first time you read it. o Then check for punctuation mistakes the next time. o Then check for spelling errors. o Last of all, check your usage of words. o If you concentrate on looking only for one kind of error, it will be easier to find them. • When you have finished, wait for a while and then read it aloud again with fresh eyes to see how it sounds. • Remember to apply what you have learned this week about multiple meaning words, silent consonants and verb tenses. • Use the proofreading marks that you have been taught in your classes. A chart is available for you to use as you proofread. Make all changes in your draft.

Arizona Department of Education 19 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Session 5– Reading Comprehension and Writing

Vocabulary: Please review these words before you read the passage. These words will help you in your comprehension of the passage.

canyon – a deep valley with steep sides process – a series of changes that happen one after another

Skill to use while reading: Cause and Effect • A cause is the reason something happens. • An effect is what happens as a result of something else. • An author may use words and phrases such as because, so, since, and as a result to signal a cause and effect relationship.

Think about cause and effect as you read the passage, Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon

You have just read a tall tale that tells how the Grand Canyon was made. In this passage, you will learn how it was really formed!

Today the Grand Canyon is a national park in northern Arizona. The canyon is over 275 miles long. It is 15 miles wide at its widest point and over a mile deep at its deepest point. How was something that large ever formed?

Do you know what erosion is? If you do, then you know what carved the Grand Canyon. Erosion is a process in nature. Wind and water play an important role in this process. Erosion is when the Earth’s surface materials are worn away and moved from one place to another. Erosion is most often slow, but there are times when it happens fast. In the case of the Grand Canyon, it happened very slowly.

You may have learned about the river at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It is the Colorado River. The Colorado River is a very swift moving river. Since it is so swift, it carries a lot of sand and small rocks as it moves. Over millions of years, the rough sand and pebbles in the river water carved away at the many layers of rock. This formed a deep canyon.

The rock layers in the Grand Canyon are very, very old. The layers at the bottom are the oldest. They are about one and one-half to two billion years old. The layers at the top are 270 million years old. The Grand Canyon was carved in the last 5 to 6 million years. Compared to the age of the rock layers, the canyon seems pretty young!

Arizona Department of Education 20 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

National Park Service Photo The Colorado River deep in the Grand Canyon

Check your understanding of “Grand Canyon” by answering the questions below.

1. What natural process created the Grand Canyon? ______

2. At its greatest, the Grand Canyon is: ______long;

______wide; ______deep.

3. What two natural factors are important in erosion? ______and ______

4. The river at the bottom of the Grand Canyon is the ______.

5. The oldest rocks in the Grand Canyon are found at the ______of the canyon.

Geography Skills - On the map below, find the Colorado River where it begins in the state of Colorado. With your pencil, crayon or a marker, trace the river as it flows through Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, and into the country of Mexico.

Arizona Department of Education 21 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Map courtesy of the Arizona Geographic Alliance

Remember: A cause is the reason something happens. An effect is what happens as a result of something else. An author may use words and phrases such as because, so, since, and as a result to signal a cause and effect relationship.

For example: I got very wet during the rain storm this morning because I forgot to take my umbrella. The cause is I forgot to take my umbrella. The effect is that I got very wet.

The author of Grand Canyon used the word since to signal a cause and effect relationship. Reread the story and find the word since and this cause and effect relationship. Write the cause and the effect on the lines below.

Cause ______

Effect ______

Arizona Department of Education 22 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

You have read two different explanations of how the Grand Canyon was formed. In the chart below, record the cause and effect explanation from each passage. You may reread the stories.

How the Grand Canyon Was Formed

Story Cause Effect

Pecos Bill

Grand Canyon

Writing Activity

Step 5: Publishing – Put your tall tale into its final form on the pages below. Remember to write legibly. When you have it copied, read it over to be sure you have it the way you want it to be. Be sure to give it a title.

Presenting - Practice reading your tall tale and then share it with a family member. They will enjoy hearing your work!

Arizona Department of Education 23 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

______

Arizona Department of Education 24 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

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Arizona Department of Education 25 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2

Extensions • Illustrate your tall tale with a drawing of your character or of an event described in the tale.

• Where does your tall tale hero live? Find this location on the map of the United States in the lesson.

• Learn more about the Grand Canyon National Park at http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm

• Read about other tall tale heroes and heroines: Paul Bunyan, Calamity Jane, Casey Jones, John Henry, Davy Crockett, Sally Ann Thunder

Sources Grand Canyon National Park http://www.nps.gov/grca/naturescience

Maps courtesy of Arizona Geographic Alliance http://alliance.la.asu.edu/azga/

Recipes4Success Graphic Organizer www.recipes4success.com

Arizona Department of Education 26 Language Arts Grade 4 Week 2